Sequel To Kayashima
by ayafangirl
Summary: Good title, right? Another super-natural adventure for Kaya, Naka and the gang. Once again, non yaoi though I do love yaoi when I have a plot, I'll post it.
1. Chapter 1

Kayashima 2: The title-less wonder

Disclaimer: If I owned Hana-Kimi, this wouldn't be fanfiction. It would be a story. But here I am on . And there you are reading it. And there is a squirrel outside my window.

Yeah...you wanted it, so you got it. I figured with a name like this, you'd recognize it's a sequel to Kayashima. For the record, I have NO idea what the story's going to be about; I'm making it up chappie by chappie. I know you'll support it anyway, which makes me happy. And I promise...LONGER CHAPTERS!!

BTW, I have no idea if Osaka High has lunch periods or cafeterias, just go with it, please. XP

**Note: Please read Kayashima before you read this. It'll make it more understandable. **

Ch. 1: Lunchroom Madness.

Ah, lunch break. It was a free period from school where you could clear your head and fill your belly. You could chat with friends and exchange notes. And if you were 16-year-old Taiki Kayashima, you could read a book about vampires. It was a relaxing thing, reading thrillers and occasionally nibbling your chicken nabe. Of course, if you were 16-year-old Taiki Kayashima, you'd have a roommate and best friend, 16-year-old Shuichi Nakatsu, who was not the kind of person to relax and read a book.

"Kayashima, Kayashima! Hey—is that all you're gonna eat?"

(Sigh).

Why did it always go back to food?

"Yes, Nakatsu. Unlike you, I don't play sports. I don't have much of an appetite." the violet-eyed teen responded, turning to his blond-haired friend.

Sekime, another friend of theirs, joined them. "Heh, it isn't sports that has to do with appetites, Nakatsu is just a human-gullet!"

His best friend, Noe, already seated across from Kayashima at the table, began to laugh.

Nakatsu simply smiled along with them. "I do love to eat!" he agreed.

Mizuki and Sano entered the cafeteria side by side, Mizuki smiling brightly and Sano with the usual, 'I don't care about life; go f—k yourself' expression he always wore. In her hands, Mizuki carried a box.

"Izumi! Mizuki!" Nakatsu yelled, waving. A year ago, Kayashima might have found this annoying, but he knew by now that yelling and being—a general annoyance to humanity—was just his friend's personality. "Mizuki, is that a homemade bento?"

"Um, yeah." she answered. "I made enough for anyone."

Kayashima continued to ignore the conversation, wondering for the umpteenth time what a girl was doing at an all-boys school. It was obvious she loved Sano...but was that really reason enough to deny one's own gender? In some ways, Kayashima envied her spirit. Her bravery. Her downright doggedness! He himself was a bit of a coward. That had shown months earlier when a dark spirit had tried to capture him. Yamimaru had had a feud with his grandmother, and tried to overshadow him to take revenge. If it hadn't been for Nakatsu and the rest of his friends in Dorm 2, Kayashima would have been a goner. He came back into reality as Nakatsu's loud voice became even louder.

"Nakao! HEEEEYYYY! NA-KAAA-OOOOO! Over here! Mizuki made homemade rice balls! Onigiri, 'Kao! Come try them!"

As a New Year's resolution, Nakatsu was trying to be nicer to Nakao, his least favorite member of their group of friends. Mizuki got along with him and judging by the pink-colored aura that surrounded the blond soccer player every time he was near the brunette, he wanted to appease her.

Nakao looked up and made a face (he had made no resolutions towards being nicer to Nakatsu). "No, thanks. I'm on a diet. I'm skipping lunch."

"Aw, c'mon! It's just onigiri. There's nothing in it that'll make you fat!" the monkey-faced boy pestered. "Like I said, they're homemade from Mizuki!"

Pale brown eyes narrowed in annoyance. "No."

Nakatsu seemed to take this as a personal insult to Mizuki (who, BTW, had nothing to do with the conversation and was talking to Sano about Yujiro). "Fine, but FYI, Nanba-senpai isn't gonna notice you just cause you're skinny. In fact, I hear it's the anorexic ones that scare him off."

Nakao was in front of Nakatsu in a second, glaring like a demon. "What?" he growled. Kayashima glanced up at the scene that was unfolding. He looked away quickly, slightly scared of Nakao's aura. It had the frightening tendency to snap from it's usual nonchalant boredom to a flaming anger very quickly. The bishounen could be terrifying when he wanted to be.

Nakatsu was unshaken. "Good, while you're here," he started calmly, grabbing an onigiri as he spoke, "you can try Mizuki's onigiri!" with that, he thrust the rice ball into Nakao's face an evil grin on his face.

The pink-haired teen gasped in shock and anger as grains of rice smeared across his lips and chin. "NAKATSUUUU!"

(Of course), just then, Minami Nanba, the dorm's RA, walked in. "Hey, guys. Um, Nakao, you have something...on your face."  
"Of course. Th-thanks, Nanba-s-senpai." Minami smiled and walked over to the snack machine, turning his back on the group. Noe and Sekime were both in hysterics and Sano and Mizuki had stopped talking to watch the two argue. Kayashima glared into the pages of 'Salem's Lot; would he ever get any peace and quiet? Of course, that was a stupid thing to ask.

"See what you do, asshole?" Nakao's shrill voice sounded. He grabbed Nakatsu's chicken nabe and dumped it over his head.

Nakatsu gasped. "Why you girly little—haaaaa!" he grabbed a handful of ramen noodles out of Sekime's bowl and tossed them at Nakao, who wailed in anger.

Noe and Sekime turned to each other; smiles pasted on their faces, knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

"FOOOOOD FIIIIIIIGHT!!"

That was all it took. Within seconds, the entire cafeteria was an explosion of flying lunches. Some teens were laughing, others were looking quite annoyed. Minami cried out to make everyone stop, but his voice was lost in the noise.

Kayashima rose without putting down his book. Calmly, he began to walk out of the lunch room. He dodged flying food particles, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Once he was through the closed double doors, he shook rice and sashimi from his hair and wiped a glob of wasabi from his left temple. He returned to his room where he waited out the rest of the period before returning to class. He made it up to Part II, The Emperor of Ice Cream before math class. There, he met Nakatsu again.

"Boy, Kayashima, you were smart to leave when you did. A teacher came by and helped Nanba stop the food fight. Then Nanba made us clean it all up."

"Yeah...I had a feeling it was going to end badly." he responded. "So, have you given up trying to make up with Nakao?"

Nakatsu scoffed. "He can kiss my ass."

"...Yeah, I kinda figured as much." he muttered with a hint of sarcasm. "We better get seated, class is about to begin."

"Yeah," the soccer player agreed. "So, how was the rest of your lunch break?"

"I spent the period with Stephen King."

"Ah. So in other words, just a typical day?"

"Just another typical day."

Or was it? No, it was. So, I know there's no super-natural action yet, but I have to come up with it. In the mean time, I just wanted to give you guys something. Comedy is OK, right? I promise it'll pick up. Part II, The Emperor of Ice Cream is a part of 'Salem's Lot, which is a book by Stephen King. It's about vampires and is a horror-thriller. I'm like, one quarter of the way through Part I and it's awesome! I ttly recommend it! It's the kind of thing Kayashima would like!

I like playing up the fact that Nakatsu and Nakao's personalities clash...it's fun. :)

Stay tuned and voice your opinion; give me suggestions and general comments...if you dare! Mu ha ha ha!

Review.


	2. Chapter 2Nothing to do

Disclaimer: I don't own Hana-Kimi, Hisaya Nakajo does, and blah, blah, blah.

Thanks for supporting Sequel to Kayashima! Yay, Night Fox Hiten, you've returned! Returning readers make my heart swell, but not literally 'cause then I'd die and couldn't finish this story. So yeah, lets get a theme going here!

Ch. 2: Nothing to do

It was after track and soccer practice one day that the crew sat around, moping over early spring blues.

Nakatsu groaned loudly. "I hate it, guys. It's so boring. We have nothing to do!"

"Just ignore him." Sano muttered, petting Yujiro.

"I'm serious," he persisted. "Day in and day out, it's so routine. We're teenagers! What happened to all the exciting things in life?"

"We should be studying for that Japanese history exam Friday." Sekime pointed out as he changed from his track shoes into his school shoes. "Well, not that that's what I'm doing, but still."

Kayashima wasn't listening. He was on the last part of 'Salem's Lot, and he had to see how it concluded. Unlike his roommate, Kayashima didn't mind routine. He was safe and secure with all his friends around him, and with an intelligent mind like his, he was never bored. Repetitiveness sure beat not knowing whether or not you would wake up the same person when you fell asleep each night, like he had been before coming to Osaka and forever freeing himself of haunting spirits. He looked up when he realized all eyes had fallen on him.

"What?" he demanded, slamming the now-completed book shut.

"Is it true, Kayashima?" drilled Noe.

"Is what tru--"

"That you can take us ghost hunting for our next vacation!" Nakatsu piped.

The violet-eyed child glared. "Where do you come up with this stupid--"

"C'mon, here me out!" Nakatsu interrupted again. "We've got four days off from school coming up in two weeks! That's not enough time for Sano to travel to Hokkaido or Mizuki to go to America, so we can leave the dorms and stay in a haunted house! I hear people do it in other countries and even in some distant cities of Japan. It doesn't even have to be for four nights. We just go, spend a night trying to contact spirits, then leave if it gets too scary."

"Absolutely not." he answered firmly. How could Nakatsu suggest something so dangerous? Didn't he remember Yamimaru? The possession? The fear of forever being erased off the planet by a vengeful spirit? Kayashima had always assumed Nakatsu had more sympathy than that.

"Why?" the blond whined like a child, his face a mix of surprise and confusion.

"Don't you remember last time?! Yamimaru! He attacked! Nakatsu, I could've been killed!" his eyes briefly scanned the rest of his friends. "We all could have died!"

His voice had risen and now Nakatsu simply looked shocked.

"Kaya--"

"Are you really such and idiot?" the smaller teen cried, now close to screaming. Without another word, he turned and hurried back to his dorm. Nakatsu rose to follow him, but Sano grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to remain seated.

"Really? Are you?" he asked quietly.

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When Nakatsu opened the door uncertainly, Kayashima was sitting on his own bunk, reviewing notes for the history test Sekime had mentioned earlier.

"Hey." he said softly.  
There was no need for Kayashima to look up, and he didn't. He remained silent as his friend walked up to him and looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, good idea to study now. Sukiyaki-sensei's tests are always killer. I might have to borrow your notes, mine aren't very good."

"...So, are you going to pretend we never fought, then? Just out of curiosity is why I ask."

"I'd hardly call that fighting," Nakatsu admitted, "more like you yelling at me—not to say I didn't deserve it so...yeah."

Kayashima could read true remorse in his friend's aura, but he wasn't ready to forgive just yet. "Well, I'm not very angry at you, but there's no way I'm going 'ghost hunting' with you during break."

"Why?" Nakatsu's tone was imploring. "You used to love this stuff, Taiki. Then there was that one incident, and now you're dark and spooky, but you've given up the séances and stuff you love!"

"I haven't given up what I love. Séances aren't all that great anyway. I don't need to be the spirit whisperer to be happy. Besides, I still see some ghosts, just not many."

"I just think it'd be a fun way to get the old you back. Besides, have you forgotten what I promised you?"

Kayashima looked quizzically at the blond.

"I won't let the spirits hurt you. I promise."

Memories of his first year at Osaka flooded back. The fear as Yamimaru spoke not into his ears but into his head, chilling him to the core. The feel of un-dead hatred trying to claim his living flesh. The warmth of Nakatsu as he pulled him out of the candlelit room. The murmur of Minami's voice asking how he was doing. The security of his friends, Sano, Mizuki, Sekime, Noe, Nakao, all around him. Finally, Kayashima could speak again.  
"You really think some part of me is lost, and out of sheer boredom, you've decided to rediscover it be going to a haunted house."

"I know, elaborate, but worthwhile I think!" he answered giving a classic monkey-faced expression.

Kayashima returned the smile. "Well, why not?"

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"So, on the first day of break, we've all gotten permission from our parents and the owner of the property. The house is abandoned, but no one goes near it to rebuild, because they say it's haunted. It's actually pretty popular, believe it or not. People do this kind of stuff all the time." Mizuki concluded, clenching and un-clenching her fist.

"You don't sound very happy about going on vacation with all your friends." Dr. Umeda responded bluntly.

Mizuki faltered. "Well, it's not like I'm not happy. It'll be fun, y'know? But I'm also kinda...scared."

"I understand," he said, "I was your age when I started doing that kind of thing. Staying at new places with a couple of friends."

"No, not staying in the house—I'm scared of the ghosts!" she exclaimed in a high voice.

He raised an eye in amusement. "More than you're afraid of sleeping with a bunch of guys including Sano on a floor, or less afraid of sleeping with a bunch of g--"

"I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF THAT!!" she wailed.

The doctor merely sipped his coffee, a small smile of entertainment on his face.

"The thing is," she started anew, "last time we contacted spirits, it was an evil one. And Kayashima was really scared. You remember, right? Minami and Sekime got hurt too!"

He nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

She balled her hands into fists once again. "But I'm not chicken, I'LL GO!" she cried bravely. "And I'll sleep as far away from everyone else as possible!"

"Yeah, right."

"What was that, doctor?"

"I didn't say anything."

So, it's got a theme. They're going to a haunted house to rekindle Kayashima's love of spirits. Yeah...I had to add Dr. Umeda and I think there'll be some Mizuki and Sano stuff too. But not too much. I mean, this is for Kayashima!! Yay, Taiki!

Please review, because when you don't, I kick puppies. JK. XD


	3. Chapter 3 Yamizuma Manor

Disclaimer: Yeah. I own Hana-Kimi. And I also own a private island and Santa Claus is my butler and Paris Hilton is my slave. Ha ha.

I'm really started to enjoy this story. I want to elaborate on the other characters too, though. This is Kayashima's story, OK? But a little MizukixSano drabbles never hurt anyone. And I want to explore Nakao and Nakatsu's relationship. NOT romantically, just for fun. You'll see what I mean. It's a long chapter, too.

BTW: The name of the Manor doesn't really have anything to do with Yamimaru, but he's baaa-aaack. :D Mu ha ha ha!

Ch. 3: The Yamizuma Manor

Mizuki, Sano, Kayashima, Sekime, Noe and Nakao stood before the public bus. They had bags filled with their belongings and were going to go to the haunted house to spend a terrifying vacation together.

"Where is he, Kayashima?" asked Mizuki urgently.

"I have no idea." he responded flatly. "Don't worry about him, the bus will wait."

"I know," she responded, "but I want to get moving. I'm so nervous about this!"

"Relax." Sano instructed. He playfully bopped her head. "It'll be fun. We'll all be there together."

"I still don't know why I'm doing this," Nakao sighed. "It's bad enough Nanba-senpai's not coming, but to know that Monkey Boy is...I'm just not sure."

Kayashima turned to the bishounen. "You know, he's really not that bad. If you'd just give each other a chance, I'm sure--"

"Sorry, but I don't want to hear it. I hate him and he hates me. That's not going to change."

The ebony-haired child shook his head. "Hatred is such a pointless emotion. But for the record, I can read your auras. Neither of you hate each other."

Nakao rolled his eyes.

"HEY!" barked the bus driver, a fat mad with a balding head. "Would you kids hurry up?"

"We're waiting for a friend." explained Noe levelly.

"Well, hurry up." he grumbled, annoyed.

"HEEEEYYYY!" Nakatsu's voice pierced the air. He came running up with a backpack around his shoulders, a duffel bag in one hand and two plastic bags from a nearby drugstore in the other hand. "I brought snacks for the bus."

"Good planning." Mizuki said, smiling. Kayashima watched Nakatsu's aura turn pink.

"Yeah. Just try not to make us miss the bus next time." ordered Sano as he climbed the steps of the bus. Sekime and Noe had already boarded.

"All right! This is gonna be so fun!" cried Nakatsu, holding up his had to high five his friends. Kayashima turned away as though he didn't know the bleach-blond. Nakao did the same and Mizuki slapped his hand, sweatdropping as she did so.

The bus spurted to a reluctant start and the seven teens were off on yet another super-natural adventure.

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It was less than an hour later that they reached their destination. The haunted house was in YakiTako, a small town famous for its Takoyaki and little else. The friends gathered their belongings and made their way to a large house. The address had been given to them when they called to see if they could spend a night or two at the house. The landowner was a middle-aged woman named Rin Chiyo.

"Hello, hello. Come in please." she invited when they introduced themselves. They entered, kicking off their shoes. "You're welcome to stay at the house, I've seen many teens do it before, I'd just like to lay down a few rules."

"Of course," Mizuki said. "By the way, would you know of a woman named Io Nanba-san?"

"She's my best friend! How do you know her?"

" I'm friends with her younger siblings. I knew she owned houses and land and wondered if you were business buddies. I can't believe you are!" the brunett gushed, "It's so nice to meet you!"

"Oh, how nice. I know I can trust you kids in that case."

The rest of the group looked on curiously. How did Mizuki know some woman with Minami's last name?

After the landlady and Mizuki had had a pleasant chat, she sat down, passing around a pot of hot tea.

"As I said, I trust you, but I own the land, so it's my responsibility to make sure you don't vandalize the house you're visiting."

"We wouldn't do that, Chiyo-san!" exclaimed Noe.

"He's right! We're just going to try to contact spirits." added Sekime.

"Spirits, hm?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Nakatsu chimed. "And we have a real medium to do it for us. Isn't that right, Taiki?"

"...Yeah."

"Well then," she responded, "I suggest you be careful. Do you know the full story behind Yamizuma Manor?"

"Wait, we're staying at a place called '_Yami_-zuma?'" That has bad idea written all over it! You never mentioned _that_!" Nakao snapped, whirling around to glare at Nakatsu.

"I didn't think to mention it." he answered, returning the glare. "Why, afraid of the dark, Pretty Boy?"

"Shut up, Monkey Face!"

"Allow me to explain." Chiyo cut in. "Yes, it is know as Yamizuma Manor, or Dark Magic Manor. "Long ago, when this town was no more than a village, the manor was built. The owner was a wealthy bachelor hoping to settle down in the quiet village and find a wife. Well, he did. Unfortunately she was a witch. By that, I mean she practiced various forms of dark magic and traveled from town to town, changing her appearance so she couldn't be tracked down. He fell in love with her and she bore him a child. It was said that he died young of natural causes, but it would later be discovered that she killed him when he learned the truth.

"She raised her child to practice dark magic as well. People no longer tried to fight her, back in those days, the village was to small to fight off someone so powerful. Two generations ago, a young woman known for practicing magic and contacting spirits came to the town of YakiTako. She confronted the owner of the Manor, a young warlock who was either the grandson or great-grandson of the witch.

"She cast a curse on him and he was forever cast into the Spirit World. The house you kids will be staying in is a dark, mysterious one. There is a violent history to it. If you'll be trying to contact spirits, be aware I'm a phone call away if anything goes wrong. People in this town are very superstitious but for good reason. We've seen evil in this town before."

Everyone stared with a solemn silence at the woman. Finally, it was broken by Nakatsu. "WHOOOOOOAAAAAAA. Damn, that's cool."

Sano sighed. "What a weirdo."

"Well," Sekime looked like he was still thinking about the story he had just been told, "do you know anything else about the house? The name of the good witch or the evil warlock?"

"Oh, yes." she said, "This town is familiar with their names. The dark Yamimaru and our savior, Hinata Kayashima."

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Kayashima's jaw dropped. "What was her name?"

"Hinata Kayashima." Chiyo responded. "Why? Have you heard of her?"

"She was my grandmother. I've spoken to Yamimaru—he mentioned her—I never got the full story, but--"

Nakatsu placed a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Relax, dude. Take a breath."

Kayashima did. He felt confused and dizzy. Of all the houses they could stay at...

"Well, this is actually a good thing." Sekime said slowly.

"How?" Kayashima cried, hearing hysteria in his own voice.

"No, he has a point." Mizuki agreed, "Look, now you can learn about why Yamimaru was after you. Remember, we're here."

Once again, Nakatsu's promise flashed through his head. He turned to his best friend.

"Help me out here, OK? I can't do it alone."

Nakatsu smiled warmly. "Oh, yeah. Like I'd let you have all the fun."

"So then are you boys set?" asked Chiyo. "The grandson of Hinata Kayashima will serve as your medium?"

The medium smiled tightly. He refused to let his friends down. "Yes, Chiyo-san. Taiki Kayashima, reporting for duty."

Yeah! That took about an hour and a half! Review my hard work. Chiyo is named in honor of Granny Chiyo from Naruto Volume 30. Thank you, Lissy for letting me borrow it. And Kayashima's grandma's name means a light place. Get it? Light and Dark? She can also be in honor of Hiro's little sister from Fruits Basket.

Evil house. Next chapter. Review like good little boys and girls and its. 8D


	4. Chapter 4 In the Dark

Disclaimer: I want Hana-Kimi-hi-hi-waaaaaaa!! (Kayashima shakes his head in shame)

Whoo! I'm super-happy 'cause my other story just got reviewed! If anyone knows Gin-Ryuko, tell her ayafangirl thinks she's awesome. Anyway, forgive me if the plot is rushed a little, but I really wanted to put up this chapter since I got the idea back a while ago. Of course Kayshima's in it (DUUUUH), but bear with Nakatsu and Nakao, too. They're rough on the outside, but deep down they really hate each other. Wait...

Ch. 4: In the Dark

The friends all stood in front of the door together, frowning. Kayashima held the keys to the manor in his right hand, but he couldn't seem to bring them up to the door to unlock it. He stood, transfixed, not wanting to run away, but also not wanting to enter the dark house. The shutters were crooked, like jagged teeth. Then house was Victorian style and a faded green-gray in color. Inside was dark and the property around it had overgrown grass and weeds and little else. Kayashima found himself reminded of the Marsten House from 'Salem's Lot. It had been the center of evil in the book he had finished two weeks earlier. What dark monsters awaited company from the cellar...or perhaps they were sleeping in coffins in the attic...

_You're being ridiculous._ The boy thought, shaking his head. Of course there was something in there. The fine line between stories and reality was the power of the forces he sensed coming from the house. Sure, Yamimaru had been strong, but most spirits weren't. There was very little to be afraid of.

The others had all been equally engrossed in the aura of the house, but Nakatsu's ADD kicked in and he glared.

"Why are we all standing around?" he demanded. "Kayashima, what do you feel?"

"Dark forces." he responded in a creepy voice. Noe, Mizuki and Nakao visibly shuddered. He smiled to himself. Now that he had calmed himself down, why not have a little fun?

"Well, are we going to go in, or stand here all day?" Sekime asked.

"Right." the violet-eyed teen answered. Talking made him less nervous, and he unlocked the door.

_Ka-Chink!_

Silence fell once again.

"...The door's open." Mizuki stated.

"Yeah. It is." Sano agreed.

Taking a deep breath, Kayashima grabbed the doorknob and pushed the heavy door back.

_CRRREEEEEEEAAAAAAAKKKKKK._

Noe shuddered again. Nakatsu placed a hand on his roommate's shoulder.

"Hey, Kayashima! Let's be the first to go into this creepy place!" he suggested.

The paler boy nodded and stepped forward into the blackness. Nakatsu began to follow him. The boys walked into the dark house. Kayashima let out a loud breath. He could feel it. A presence in this house. A lot of secrets lay hidden. The answers to the questions he had been looking for would soon be revealed.

"This place is compelling." he said flatly.

"I think that means it's safe...come in!" Nakatsu urged.

The rest of the teens flooded in, nervous but eager. The sun was still up and none of them felt it would be scary enough to hold a séance in the sunlight. After unpacking in the living room (which was big enough for them to all fit their sleeping bags in) they decided to check out the town, grab some dinner and then return home after dark. Once they returned, the house seemed much spookier than when they had left.

"Sekime...you have the candles?" asked Kayashima.

"Yeah. And matches too. Got the ouiji board?"

"Of course he does." Nakatsu answered excitedly.

"This house seems to have a life of its own after dark." Nakao whispered. No one seemed to hear his terrified remark. He looked around fearfully when his eyes fell on the top of the staircase. Some one was up there. His pale brown eyes returned to his group of friends. All six of them were there. _Wait...there are seven of us! Oh wait...that's me._ He shivered. Then who was...

"Guys, do you see that?" no one answered. Kayashima was talking to Mizuki. How did he not see that? How did no one else see that figure right—no one was there. Nakao whimpered, edging closer to Noe when his eyes fell on the figure again. It was now down the dark hallway, in the opposite direction they were heading to get back to the living room. Nakao had to know who this was. Maybe only he could see the ghost! It didn't occur to him to mention he was going to explore the house himself. In fact, the only thing that did occur to him was to follow the shadowy figure watching him from afar. He stepped closer. It began to drift farther away into the house. The pink-haired boy followed the ghost into the darkness.

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Once several candles had been lit, Kayashima pulled out his ouiji board. "OK. Let's start by—wait. Where's Nakao?"

Everyone looked around. He was no where in sight.

"Uh-oh." Sano muttered. "Looks like we're gonna have to search."

Nakatsu groaned. "What a pain!" he cried. "He was probably afraid of holding the séance, so decided to waste our time. NAKAOOOO!"

"OK." Sano cut him off, annoyed. "We'll break into groups. Let's pair up with our roommates to make it easy to remember who's with who. Mizuki and I will take upstairs. Noe and Sekime get the left side of the house. Nakatsu, you and Kayashima check the right side of the first floor. Got it?" Everyone nodded. "Then let's go."

The groups split up. Mizuki and Sano scaled the stairs. "Do you think Nakao will be OK?" she asked, clearly upset.

"It's hard to say." he told her honestly. "But...if there are any dark spirits in this house, they'd probably go after the medium, Kayashima. That's why I'm so glad he has Nakatsu for a roommate. I know he's safe. As for Nakao's safety...remember Kayashima's grandmother was a good witch. Just think, she could be watching over all of us."

"Yeah!" Mizuki agreed. Just then, Sano's stepped on a loose board in the hallway. It squeaked and Mizuki screamed.

"Relax. It's just me." he sighed. Then, he held out his hand. "Here. Take my hand. If you get scared, just squeeze it tight. We're safe if we're together."

She blushed, but was too scared to argue. "O—OK. Thanks, Sano."

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Nakatsu and Kayashima walked side-by-side, entering every room they found. Kayashima couldn't pick up on Nakao's spiritual energy. That might have been partially due to the fact that Nakatsu's aura was so bright. He would never admit it, but he was scared out of his mind and the stronger the emotion, the brighter the aura.

"What if he goes back to the living room and no one's there?" the blond asked as they ran out of rooms.

"Good point." the medium admitted. "Tell you what, I'll check this last room and you go back the the living room. I'll meet you there."

"All right. Careful, Taiki."

He rolled his eyes. "We're in a haunted house were my family's enemy once lived, investigating the deceased people living here and currently searching for a lost friend, and you're telling me to be careful?"

"Um, yeah. I am." he answered seriously.

Kayashima nodded. "Same to you, then."

Nakatsu felt a little relieved to be going back into the living room, bright with candles and filled with his belongings. As he neared the end of the hallway, he realized he and Kayashima had not checked the very first door in the hall way they had gone down. Opening the door, he saw a staircase. It was a basement. _Oh, how effing fantastic._ The room was lit by the light of the moon, streaming in through the small window. He was about to close the door when he heard something. It was whimpering.

"Nakao?" he called. There was no answer. "NAKAO?" he called louder.

"Who's there?" demanded a very small, very familiar voice.

Nakatsu made his way down carefully, leaving the door open as he walked down. "It's me, Nakatsu. Are you hurt?"

He hopped down the last two steps and hurried over the the corner of the room Nakao's voice had come from. He found him, curled up, tears in his eyes. He looked up miserably.

"Not too bad. I did fall down the staircase though. Then he closed the door. He said he's gonna kill me."

"Who?" Nakatsu asked, kneeling down to help his friend.

"I don't know. The ghost who I followed."

"Why didn't you tell us you were following him?"

Nakao looked as though this was the first time that had occurred to him. "I...don't...know. I was fixated on finding out who was watching us. And why Kayashima didn't sense him before I saw him."

Nakatsu sighed. "We'll probably learn all that later when we have a séance. Can you get back up the stairs?"

"Um, yeah."

They both rose to head back up the stairs when the door swung shut. Nakao screamed. Nakatsu ran up the stairs to re-open it when a voice stopped him.

"_I told you I was going to kill you, didn't I? And now there are two of you."_

Nakao sank to his knees. "He's back." he moaned. "He's back. We're going to die now. No..." he glanced up. "Nakatsu! Get down or he'll push you down the stairs!"

"How can a ghost push you down the stairs?" Nakatsu asked sarcastically.

"Like this." he answered, lifting his shirt to reveal the bruise along the side of his torso. "I landed kinda hard."

"_Which one? Which one? Which one do I kill first?" _asked the dark voice. Nakatsu leapt down the stairs.

"Wait. That's Yamimaru's voice! He's dead! Well, he already was dead...he's gone!"

"_What a foolish child. I might have to kill you for your ignorance. You know nothing."_

Nakatsu glared into the air. He could hear Yamimaru although he couldn't see him. Nakao, meanwhile, was shaking in fear.

"_I think I'll go with the little one. Just to make you pay for everything you've put me through, loud mouth."_

"NAKAO, WATCH OUT!"

It was too late. Nakao shivered, then screamed. His high pitched wail echoed off the walls of the basement and made Nakatsu shudder. He ran forward, grabbing Nakao's wrist and jerking him to his feet. He shook his shoulders. "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

After a few seconds, Nakao's mouth shut and he blinked at Nakatsu blankly with wide eyes. Recognition flooded in. "What was that? We need to get out of here, I'm so scared, Nakatsu!"

"Don't admit to being scared! Don't let the freak break you!" Nakatsu shouted back.

"Why the hell not? He'll kill us regardless! I'm scared, OK? I'M SCARED!" he had returned to sobbing. Nakatsu sighed heavily. Something had to be done soon. If Yamimaru didn't kill them, they might go insane from fear. _If only Kayashima were here! OK, I'll do this on my own! _Nakatsu thought. He wrapped one arm around Nakao's shoulders and led him around the room.

"What are we doing?" he asked.

"Looking for a way out."

"I tried the window. It's locked."

"Damn. Let's see..." Nakatsu looked for any hidden doors. He opened what looked like a cupboard, figuring it might contain something with which he could break the window open. It was empty and looked more like a box than a cupboard.

"Good idea! A lift!" Nakao cried.

"A what?"

"In old fashioned homes, maids sent things up to their masters in lifts. They put something on this and pull a rope. It's secured to a pulley, see?" he explained, pulling a loose rope. The box in the space behind the door began to lift up to the next floor. "They used them in hotels, too--"

"Great. Get inside."

Nakao looked surprised. "What? No. You first."

"Nakao, this is old. The ropes are probably fraying. We can't both fit, so--"

"Exactly. I'm lighter than you. You go first, Nakatsu and they should still hold my weight once you're safe."

Nakatsu was surprised by Nakao's selflessness in such a scary situation. Nonetheless, he wanted to be the hero this time and make Kayashima proud. Even more, he wanted to get Nakao out of danger and away from Yamimaru. "Look, Senri, We can argue all night or you can get in."

The smaller boy looked like he was about to object again, but Nakatsu grabbed him and lifted him off his feet. "Climb in."

Without a choice, Nakao obeyed. There was plenty of room inside since he was so small. Nakatsu repeated the motion Nakao had showed him, pulling the rope on the pulley as fast as he could. Nakao cried out as the box swung under his weight, but agreed to elevate. He bit his bottom lip as he realized he'd be traveling up in absolute darkness. _It's just like an elevator...in the dark. _He told himself. He still couldn't help biting his lip until he tasted blood. After a few seconds, he noticed a small amount of light. It looked like there was a door above him. The first floor! Nakao shifted as he drew nearer once he was well-aligned, he kicked with all his might. The door swung off its hinges and he lurched forward, falling to the floor with a thud. He forced himself up and grabbed the box Nakatsu was still forcing up. "I'm there! I'll lower it for you!" he yelled.

"OK!" Nakatsu called up.

Nakao waited until he was sure Nakatsu was in. He grabbed the ropes. "OK, Nanba-senpai. This is to make you proud!" he cried, jerking the rope.

Nothing happened.

"I'm not strong enough!"

Meanwhile, Nakatsu was squeezed in the mini-elevator. His chin rested on his knees and his back hurt. "Hurry up, Nakao." he muttered, annoyed. There was a cold rush of air around him. Yamimaru. "HURRY UP, NAKAO!" he screamed, urgently.

Nakao was panicking. "I should get help. Someone else can help me, that's it!"

There was a muffled cry from the basement. "No time!" he grabbed the ropes again and pulled with all his strength. The ropes shifted a fraction of an inch. "Yes!" for the first time, the bisshounen remembered the ghost that had tried to kill him was still in the basement. That was why Nakatsu was screaming!

How dare that stupid Yamimaru try to hurt one of his friends?! Nakao felt a wave of anger wash over him. His dark side came out, aura shining with so much fury Kayashima might have shuddered if he saw it. Nakao pulled with new-found strength, ignoring the rope burn he seemed to be obtaining. All that mattered was smiting that stupid manifestation! Soon, he could see Nakatsu. He pulled harder, faster, he was almost there! Nakatsu smiled.

"Way to go--" there was a snap. The rope had finally frayed and snapped in half. The elevator box began to plummet.

"No!" Nakao grabbed his friend's arm, refusing to lose him after he had tried so hard to save him. Nakatsu seemed equally eager to stay where he was. He grabbed Nakao's wrists.

"Don't let go! I'll fall!" he cried.

"Yeah, I know!" he snapped, struggling to pull them both back up.

The most amazing part was that he was actually succeeding.

After a few minutes of struggling and supportive words, Nakao had dragged both boys out of the shaft and into the hallway it led into.

"You did it!" cried Nakatsu, holding up his hand for a high five.

Nakao lunged into the blond, hugging him instead with all his might. The taller boy smiled and wrapped his arms loosely around his friend's shoulders.

"That'll do, Senri. That'll do."

"We never discuss this to anyone." he responded. His head was buried in Nakatsu's chest, but he could picture the pout on his effeminate face as he said those words. Unfortunately, those words were spoken too soon because in the next instant, all five of their friends ran into the hallway their friend's voices had been coming from.

Mizuki smiled at the sight of the arch rivals hugging. "Found them." she said with a mixture of relief and amusement.

"See?" Kayashima asked. "I told you you didn't hate each other." but even he was smiling.

I hope you liked it. Yeah, I brought Yamimaru BACK! Feel free to through rotten tomatoes at me. I had fun writing this chapter though, so review and maybe I'll put up a new chapter soon. Sorry this one took so long. REVIEW!!


	5. Chapter 5

I REFUSE TO DISCONTINUE MY STORIES! So here you have it, after 4 grueling months, I got the time and will-power to finish. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience, I'm sure I lost all my faithful reviewers, but just so the story can be finished for anyone out there who needs to know, here you are.

Disclaimer: Wow. Good thing I don't own Hisaya Nakajo's Hana-Kimi, huh?

Ch. 5: Investigation. Truth. Horror.

"Then, then he pulled me back up! And—and—and—"

"That's when we met up with you guys." Nakao murmured, cutting Nakatsu off.

"Can I see the bruise?" Kayashima asked in a hollow tone. The small boy lifted his shirt revealing the mark he had obtained after the spirit knocked him down a flight of stairs. The medium's violet eyes narrowed. "You're really hurt…the wound is tangible…but Yamimaru's weak…a spirit, how could he…?"

"You look pale. Take a breath." Sano advised. Mizuki, who was too close for friendly comfort at the moment (although neither teen seemed to mind), nodded. "We need to work this out. And if you're too scared, we leave. It's as simple as that."

"Taiki. The point is that whether or not we want to face it, Yamimaru's back and stronger than ever. I heard his voice so clear, and he's just…I don't know, it's hard to describe. He has a more obvious presence than before. Like Izumi said, why don't we go home—"

"Go home?" Kayashima echoed incredulously, "Are you insane? I want to stay! I want to learn everything I can about this creep…and stop him once and for all. The only question is if you all want to stick around."

"You know I'm not going anywhere." Nakatsu said with a grin.

"Neither am I!" exclaimed Mizuki.

"And someone needs to look out for you guys, which is where I come in," Sano added.

"Don't count me out just yet!" Sekime said loudly.

"Me, either," Noe piped.

"I'm…staying too." Nakao spoke softly with his head resting on his knees and his eyes on the ground.

"You guys…" Kayashima said.

"Aw, he's touched. We're there for ya, Taiki!"

"No, Nakatsu. I was saying, you guys are all idiots. But…it means so much to me. Having friends to hold on to is what got me through this last time…it's what's going to help me this time, too." As he spoke, he pulled out his Ouiji board. "Ready?"

The boys all held hands, creating a circuit of energy. Kayashima put the board on his lap. _Heheh…do you really think you need that? _The black-haired boy froze. "Did you hear that…?" All the boys nodded. There was clearly a connection of more than just chi around them. "Yamimaru. How are you alive?"

_My, my, my. And I thought you were a bright child. It's simple. Don't you realize existence isn't the same in the after-life? I exist as long as I have a strong desire to…and the power from my living years to counter-curse your spells._

"Great," Nakatsu muttered, annoyed. "So he's invincible."

"No." Kayashima responded flatly. "I refuse to let him get away this time. Tell me, it's my grandmother who killed you?"

Yes. A dark spell for such a good witch. It sent my soul straight to the spirit world where I built up strength and began haunting you at a young age. Hinata had died years earlier and followed me. Even after our deaths we continue to do battle. She passed on happily after you supposedly banished me last year. Too bad I wasn't really gone.

"So my grandmother…has moved on happily," the medium breathed a sigh of relief.

So I've decided to take revenge on you instead, Taiki-kun. This time, I'll really kill you. But it might be more fun if I kill your little friends first.

"NO!" he cried. "This is between you and me, I refuse to lose them to you. Focus on conserving your strength, you shadow of a warlock!"

_How dare you?!_

Kayashima screamed as an icy wave washed over him and he began to lose sight of his friends around him. "Kayashima!" Mizuki screamed.

"Wait…don't break the circuit," Sano cautioned as she moved to help him. "I have an idea. Will Kayashima to be OK, everyone. Keep your minds on one thing: Kayashima fighting him off."

Obediently, the other five boys closed their eyes and tried to channel their thoughts to Kayashima, who stopped screaming abruptly and blinked in shock. "Wh-what did you do?! He's gone!"

"For now," The high-jumper answered flatly. "Just a little idea we had. I've read it in enough books. We just all joined together and our thoughts transferred to you and gave you strength."

Kayashima was panting from fear. His face was pale and sweaty, but he smiled. "Sano…you're a lot more clever than I give you credit for."

"So you assumed I was an idiot?" he responded, but he was smiling too.

"How long do you think he'll be gone for?" Mizuki asked.

"Not long," the ebony-haired boy responded. "Which is why I want to finish him off tonight. You guys all with me?"

They all nodded. "But how do we finish him off forever?" asked Noe.

"With a little tough love," Kayashima responded with a small grin.

Everyone sweatdropped. "Dude, was that your attempt at like a super-hero using a cool pun?" Nakatsu cried. "Oh, it so didn't work!"

"Hey, shut up!"

"No, Kayashima, he's right," Mizuki agreed.

He groaned. "Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter. My plan is simple. We're going to make a circuit again and focus all our energy on how we want to defeat him…and how we care about each other."

"Love? Like we're all gonna be really gay in other words?" Nakao asked.

"Wow, of all people to say that," Sekime started. But a scary growl in the back of Nakao's throat shut him up.

"Well, kind of," Kayashima admitted. "I think love is enough to stop him. Love for each other, love for people we hold close to us, any kind really. I mean, it worked in Harry Potter."

"In what?" Noe asked.

Mizuki shot a glance at Sano who chanced a peak at her. They caught each other's stare and looked away, flustered. They hardly noticed the look Nakatsu dared at Mizuki and chose to ignore the distant look in Nakao's eye at the thought of Nanba.

"I'm going to make sure we're ready for him," Kayashima stated, pulling out more candles and lighting them. Some of them glowed strange colors like dark blues and purples. He opened several books out, opened to bookmarked pages, and started muttering incantations. He also removed some tarrot cards from his pocket and placed them at various angles around the circle.

"This is the Taiki I remember!" Nakatsu whispered proudly. Kayashima gave a small smile in response.

"Okay, I'll admit, I'm getting into this," he murmured. "I mean, my grandmother was a powerful spell caster. I knew she could speak to spirits like I do, but...wow. In a way I guess I'm really proud. I want...to be like her. Help defeat Yamimaru. And finally," he added, turning back to his bag. He pulled out a large talisman Nakatsu had originally gotten him for protection when they first became friends. "Now I definitely feel safe," he said proudly.

"Aw...Kayashima..." Mizuki started.

"Your aura just turned the strangest color," he teased.

She laughed, "It's just touching, that's all." She was going to say more, when she noticed he had suddenly stopped what he was doing. He stood frozen, staring at nothing in particular. Or so it seemed.

"Yamimaru..." he hissed.

Nakao screamed. "I see him too! See, Nakatsu?! It's him!"

"Hot damn!"

They all faced the stairs, where a young man stood. He was thin and dressed in a black cloak with a crimson-red broach holding it around his narrow shoulders. His long black hair fell down, elbow-length. Unlike Kayashima had always imagined, his eyes were not red. They were a pale, pale brown. Almost diluted-looking. He smiled in a malicious, inhuman way right at the terrified child. _Taiki._

"I-it's you."

_Yes. I'm afraid this is the last we will ever see of each other. I'm so sick of watching you go about, pretending you know what you're doing. And now dragging innocent school-boys into this. You're nothing like your grandmother. She was brave, noble. Meddlesome. When she died, it was tragic to all the foolish people who worshiped her. When you die, Taiki, it will be a relief._

"That's......not........t-true....."

_Oh, isn't it? What good have you done? Begged for help and fallen back on people, take the pride of the woman who banished me while you yourself have no power whatsoever—_

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Nakatsu bellowed. Kayashima jumped about a foot in the air while Yamimaru simply turned and stared.

_Can I help you, boy?_

"You sure as hell can! I've been listening to you blabber on and on, but it's all lies. Taiki's not a coward like you make him seem. He's smart and knows teamwork is the way to go. Maybe he doesn't have powers and know spells the way Hinata Kayashima did, but it doesn't matter because he's still managed to keep you at bay. And now with our help, he's gonna do away with you once and for all!"

_Ah, yes, the loud-mouthed Yakuza, I remember you._

"WHO ARE YOU CALLIN' YAKUZA?!" the blond yelled indignantly.

"Guys, if you want to help play hero and stop Yamimaru," Kayashima started, jumping back into his spot, "now might be a good time to start! PROTECOUS, ELLEVIOUS, SATANIA! PROSPARIO LUSIA!"

With the addition of extra incantations to assure their safety, he closed his eyes and grabbed Nakatsu's hand and Noe's hand and focused on one sole thing: _we must defeat him, we must defeat him. We're all here together to defeat him. To protect my family, and my friends. So I can go back to school and see R.A. Nanba and all the other dorm mates..._

Around him, the others did the same. The room seemed to drop ten degrees, but Yamimaru disappeared, so they hoped it was a good sign. Unfortunately, his voice could still be heard.

_Really? Last time at least you tried to use a book. This time you're what? Meditating me away? Hahaha! You disappoint, Taiki._

"Ignore him, just ignore him and focus on what you love most," Kayashima ordered.

Simultaneously, Sano and Mizuki thought of each other. They both threw a huge amount of strength and energy into their medium. Nakao blushed as he thought of Nanba, and his pink aura flooded into Kayashima. Noe and Sekime thought of girls. Nice, pretty girls that they would some day date...smiling, they channeled their aura into the violet-eyed boy too. Nakatsu thought of Mizuki, but he also thought of his best friend. How much they had been through. _For all these times, Taiki. And many more,_ he thought. Kayashima actually opened his eyes and cried out as he felt waves of strength wash over him.

"You guys...we're going to...win," he revealed. Was it only in his head it could be heard? The hiss of anguish as Yamimaru tried to escape. But the entire house was washed in the safe glow of their auras...and he was, after all, bound to the house.

_I'll get you for this, child...mark my words..._

"Oh, shut up. You're never coming back," he responded with a confident grin. And with a final shriek, the spirit was vanquished.

The friends all stood still for another minute, afraid to move. Finally, Nakatsu whispered, "Is he gone? Is it over?"

"Yeah. We won. We...f-finally won..." the aura-reading teen responded.

"Taiki?" asked the bleach blond. He rushed over and wrapped a supportive arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. "It's alright. You're safe. For real this time."

"I-I know. It's just hard to believe. Th-thank you, everyone."

Nakao scoffed. "It was nothing."

"Really, Kayashima, I'm just glad you made it out OK," Mizuki piped. Sano nodded in fervent agreement.

"Wow, we did it!" cried Sekime. "Way to go, guys! Yeah, we're heroes!" he and Noe had begun to hop around the room in excitement.

"Yeah," he agreed, watching all his friends and feeling a mix of pride and gratefulness wash over him. "Now I don't know about you guys, but as long as this place doesn't have spirits anymore, I think it's really boring. Why don't we see if we can find a cheap motel to stay the night?"

"You mean we can leave this place?!" Mizuki piped. "Yeah! Let's pack our stuff and go!"

XXX

"Doesn't if feel strange to be back at school after all that?" asked Nakatsu during lunch. They had ended their little adventure and were back and school. "I mean...all that happened in one night. It feels like a whole chapter out of our lives."

Kayashima looked up from Dracula. "I suppose. But I'd rather not think about it much."

"What ever you say, Taiki. I'm just glad we got you back."

"Yes, I can tell. Your aura is yellow, it's a bit painful to look at," he responded, looking away from his friend and re-immersing himself in Dr. Van Helsing's journal. The others chuckled as Nakatsu looked a little rejected but bounced back quickly.

"Yeah, well, it should be yellow. I mean, we stopped that creep Yamimaru for good without using powers...just the power of love—"

"LAME." Noe and Sekime interjected.

"A-aaand," he ignored them, "we saved not only Taiki, but that whole town when you think about it. Plus I gained a friend. Isn't that right, Nakao?"

"Don't talk to me, Monkey Boy." the bisshounen snapped.

"Hey, what gives?! I save your life and this is how you repay me?!"

"Technically, _I_ saved _your_ life."

"You saved each other's lives now shut up," Sano ordered.

"C'mon, Izumi don't be so emo!"

"What did you just call me?!"

Kayashima smiled to himself, not because Lucy had become a vampire thanks to Dracula in his book, but because life-changing events didn't seem to change the way the people he loved interacted. It was annoying sometimes, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

End.

Woo! Taiki is saved! Sorry if it's short and kinda different from the original, but hey, it's been a while. I'm so glad I finally finished the story. I hope you enjoyed and if anyone's still out there, please review!


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